This beautiful wind chime, or
furin in Japanese, has the conical shape of Mount Fuji and is engraved with fine details representing the clouds around the top of the mountain and Japanese Kanji characters at its base.
Handmade at the Kashiwagi Art Foundry from a special alloy (
sahari) which comprises copper and at least 20% tin,
sahari was developed specifically by Mr Kashiwagi for use in bells (
narimono) - it is sturdy yet produces beautiful clear tones.
The pale golden colour will darken slightly over time.
A key feature of Japanese
furin is the paper wind catcher (
tanzaku) which is attached to the ring within the bell. It is this which catches the breeze and produces those beautiful sounds. Traditionally, you would write something meaningful on the
tanzaku before giving the bell as a gift.
Being hand made, each piece is slightly different and is thus unique.
Beautifully boxed, Gold Mt Fuji does make a lovely gift - but please note that being Japanese, it is not only exquisite but also small!
NB: If placed outside it should be in a sheltered position e.g. under a porch, to protect it from the weather. We recommend hanging it indoors.
Measurements
Length of bell: 5 cm (2 inches)
Diameter at bottom edge: 6 cm (2.3 inches)
